LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 160, 4 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A United States soldier can insure his life for £IOOO for £8 a year,

At the Wellington Poultry, Pigeon, all< i •Canary S>h6w, which opened yesterday, Messrs Vitetta Bros., of Nelson, 5 in the canary section, scored eight j fii-ats, iten three thirds, and 1 were awarded two special prizes, a cup j for most points in. canaries, a chamj pionship, and a cup for mules. This is

. To-day is lae American national icte day—the anniversary of th. '.:L'Hce of tiie United States. A very enjoyable concert was given at the kospk-al on Monday evening by a musical party organised by Mr -S l . Bush. Those taking part were Mistier Hanby, D. Hamilton, Joyce, ALay Joyce, and .Sow man, Messrs A. 'G. Belts, Sid Bush, E. K. Hishworth (Wellington), and the Vitetta Bros. The patients were greatly pleased with the concert, as they also are with the concents arranged by Mr E. A. Bush., of Waimea street, and given on the second Saturday of eai-h, month.

Mr E. W. Just, representing the Xew Zealand Educational institute, in the eonrs- of a lecture delivered by Tii'm in southland last week on "E<lucalion fit-form," said that the Minister of Education was keen. to inaugurate reforms, but legislative power and more money were necessary, and until they showed the Government and Parliament that they really wanted reforms, the reforms -would not be s. cured.

PeriodicaJlv Sir James Allen, as Minister of '.Defence, receives from England consignments of books, pamphfets. official reports, illustrated brochures, and other publications, which he distributes among the newspapers. These form a fund which it is always possible to draw for facts and quotations, and are no doubt found veryuseful by their' recipients. A batch has just" reached this offic.' and illustrates clealry the wide and varied activity of writers upon the war and the methods of war.

"That the Government take into consideration the advisability of acquiring, when the price of shipping becomes normal, a fleet of Slate-owned vessels as a means whereby the producer and consumer of New Zealand products may be brought into direct contact, and as a set-off against an} trust which may try to get control of ihe New Zealand m'at of other produce markets," is a remit which has been forwarded by Otago for decision at the annuaL conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, which is to op n at Wellington, on July 30. Recommendations favouring the establishment of a fanners' shipping company have been submitted by the Auckland and Wellington unions.

Attention is to be devoted at coming conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union to the subject of harnessing the water power of the Dominion. Th. Wellington branch has forwarded a remit suggesting that the conference impress upon the Minister c-f Public Works the necessity for proceeding with the preliminary work on the Mangahao hydro-electric scheme as an . urgent step towards national efficiency. In view of the large demand for nitrogen for fertiliser purposes the Taranaki Union suggests that the Government b. asked if it contemplated the use of hydro-electric power for the production of nitrogen.

An Island Bay fisherman, Wellington, giving evidence in a case at the Magistrate's Court, says the Dominion, stated that April last was the best month for ashing experienced this year. In that month the owner of a four-line ' boat cleared £2OO. During May, witness-, whose boat carries five fishermen, said he made £195, and in June his net .receipts were £225. Another fisherman testified that his was a six-line boat, and in April his net taking were £260. Evidence was given by the partner in a, fishing- firm of four men that his share of the proceeds of tne operations in April was jdo-2 10a.

Statements have recently .been made as to the prevalence of mice in some parts of Wellington. At a local meeting the other night, says the Post, a nurse stated that about 2 o'clock one morning last week, whilst driving to Karori in a motor-car, sh • noticed swarms of mice crossing-/the karori voad in the neighbourhood of the viaduct. The car was stopped for a few moments, and the mice were plainly visible by the road light and the car lamp. Thv mice appeared to be making for bhe Karori tunnel.

"If the continues;" remarked Bishop Sprott at the Wellington Anglican Synods "we shall have further temporarv vacancies in the 'staff of clergy, as" of course, supply of chaplains to the new reinforcements must be maintained,. and also, alas! the places of. those who may be permanently disabled for active service supplied, I know that I can confidently rely upon our people in parishes whosr clergy may be called away as chaplains loyally to'stand by the Church in tlnV time "of stress."

Smoke and ster.rn w-. re seen tobbute ut issuing from Mount Ruapehu on Saturday morning, says the Ohajjunn corresponueinT oT~ the Auckland Herald. People at Waiouru saw smoke arising in the early hours, while from Ohakune a volume of st:am was observed. The position where the steam was .rising, is north of the Matterhorn, nearly half<,vay between 'there and the centre of the mountain, and those who know the topography of the vicinity'are of opinion that it is from the hot lakie at the top. Ruapehu y is at present wearing its mid-winter mantle of snow, and is very heavily coated down to the snow line.

A dance will be held in . St. M.irv's Hall o" Friday even/ng at 8 o'clock.

<i fine list of wins, on which the Nelson fanciers ai*e to be warmly congratulated.

Drinking amongst women is common in the north-east coast area of England, according to the Chief Constable of Newcastle. It is quite a usual tning to find from 30 to 40 intoxicated women in one house. There was, however, a decrease in convictions in 1917 compared with iai6 in Newcastle. The number of prosecutions for drunkenness was 1255 ( 922 men and 353, women), as against 2133 (1662 nun and 471 women) for 1916.

! Mr Hodge, British Minister for Penj sions, and a Labour member of the old school, has described the present 'Labour patry as "mongrel." He asks » v.heth r the time has not arrived when jan attempt should be made to form J a trades union party.

'•'One day recently," says the Sunday Chronicle, " a lady typist in the Ministry of Food put. the cover on her machine, folded her not.. book, put |on her new Easter hat*, opened the i door, went out into the spring air—and 134,0C0 people in Manchester went I without their ration of margarine. - - 'The typist had forgotten to despatch j the order."

An American artist named Scha i fer. his wife, and two Germans, weiv sentenced to six weeks' imprisonrnenv

at- Munich for "frivolity" in holding a fancy dress Dall during' thi: first days ,jr the oifensiv dn the West. The Lah was largely attended by members of the aristocracy and officers.

A very important mating of the j Stoke Fruitgrowers' Association will be held to-morrow evening. In- ackh- ) tion to the paper by Mr Hyde, which j )« bound to draw a largo attendance, j the meeting will be ask; d to consider! v.-avs and means of securing less dam- j age to fruit in transit. One proposal j is the holding of a conference in Wei- } lington, when fruitgrowers. transport workers-, fruiterers, in fact all connected with the matter, will confer and endeavour to effect an improvement. It is stated that fruit in transit has been considerably damaged om> way or another and an effort is to be made to improve matters.

A request has been received from the Imperial Government to supply a number of homing pigeons for war work on th- West front. T.'He Defence Dtei-. partment has been in communication with the various societies, and it is hoped that the response will bo good. It is desirable that the birds should be as young as possible, says fhe Dominion. A similar appi al has been made in the United Kingdom and in Australia, and the fanciers there have given their birds free. It is said that over 60.000 birds were given free of cost in the Unit.d Kingdom. The New Zealand Government would be glad to receive offers of birds from fanciers in New -Zealand. It should be stated whether the birds are g'ivi n free, or the cost per head fanciers are prepared to accept. All should 1 ■bfe ad-dreps.-d to Headquarters, Ntew 4 Zealand IvlilTFary Forces, Wellington.

The ancient bounty known as the Royal Maundy is granted to as many rnon and as* many women as there arc years in the King's age. The King bein-i- 53 at his next /birthday, tnere -were 106 participants this year; but some wer e too weak to attend, and the number present in Westminnst<,i A obey was between 50 and 60. First was given the allowance in lieu of clothing—£l 15s to each woman and £2 5s to each man. Then purses were oiaced in the hands of the recipients. The red purses each contained £l' in gold, representing part of the "laun-" dv ; and £1 10s in li ut of provisions, which -were formerly given in kind. In th« white purees were "as many pence as the King is years of age," being the balance of the Maundy.

Tire monthly social in connection; with_ AH Saints' Church was held last ■ evening, and was very largely attended. The Rev. Canon Woilistein was in the chair. The following contributed to the musical porta on of the programme:— 'Mesdarnes T3ush and 'McLaren, Masse 0 ? Loniisson, Garner, Hobbs, and Averryv and Mr A. Taylor. Refreshments "were Curved during the evening. "Those present .spent a most enjoyable time. The schoolroom was.' tastefully decorated for the occasion. ' .

A joint general meeting of the members of the Nelsom Jockey Club and the Nelson Trotting Club was held yesterday afternoon for the purpose-of considering tb~6 matter of increased rent which would/be charged by the Nel c on Agro'cultirral and' Pastoral Association if the rebuilding of the grandstand at Richmond Park was l entered, upoiv the Association having intimated that . a substantial increase in the rentals would' be necessary to enable the Asooiatnon to meet the increased annual charges thaib would accrue if a grandstand, was built. -After discussion, it,was resolved that Messrs R. Hunter, GT Haggitt, and P. o. ' Hamilton (representing the Jockey Club), and Messrs H. J. Watson, and A. Grant, - (representing the Trotting Club) be delegates, with full power to act. >to meet delegates from .tihe Agricultural and Pastoral Association at Richmond! on Saturday evening next.

Mi' A. Gould advertises' .the following sales, Saturday next at noon, at rooms, freehold property in N'i'le-Sifcreet; Thursday next, clearing sale at Hope oun acount Messrs , Wilkinson and Hogg: Saturday,. 13th inst., at rooms,, freehold property Jn estate of Thomas Cawthron, deceased.

One of the surprises of the war has been the enormous military consumption of timber, and the scarrity of shipping for its transportation. The reconstruction committee advises' Britain to plant 1,770.000 acres and assii?ifc individuals and private bodies to plant, all they can. Britons ore just awaking to the fact that from a national' c. private point of view forestry is one of the best possible investments. Plant your waste lands in pinus ineignis. the premier timber tree. Further particulars, Kingsland, Appleby.* NO RUBBING Laundry Help de

3 lights every housewife, is 3d packet \ sufficient for sevfu- weekly fam Sty '\ washings. —T. Pettit